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Global Healthcare Comparison Matrix and Narrative Statement

Global Healthcare Comparison Matrix and Narrative Statement

HIV/AIDS is one of the global public health concerns that affect a significant per centage of the population. HIV/AIDS has high prevalence and incidence rates in most of the global states. The developing and under-developed nations are highly affected by the disease. In a response to the epidemic, global states have adopted policies that aim at reduce the rate of its spread as well as improving the quality of life for the patients affected by HIV. The purpose of this paper is to compare policy interventions adopted by the USA and Kenyan governments to address HIV/AIDS.

 

Global Healthcare Issue  

HIV/AIDS

Description HIV/AIDS is a disease that is caused by HIV virus. HIV/AIDs are a major global public health concern due to the large proportion of the population that is affected by it. The statistics shows that the rate of HIV/AIDs in the US in 2019 was 12.6 per 10,000 people. The global fact sheet shows that 37.7 million people globally were living with HIV/AIDS in 2020. HIV/AIDs have a high mortality and morbidity rate. As a result, global states have adopted interventions that aim at reducing the prevalence and prolonging the lives of the affected populations.

 

 

Country United States

 

Kenya
Describe the policy in each country related to the identified healthcare issue The American government has implemented policies that aim at increasing the testing of the population for HIV/AIDs and early initiation of treatment to suppress the viral multiplication (Padamsee, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kenyan government has implemented policies that support mass testing of HIV/AIDs and initiation of treatment. It has also implemented policies that increase collaboration between different levels of government to maximize the benefits of the interventions (Musyoki et al., 2018).
What are the strengths of this policy?  

The policies recognize the vital role of increasing mass testing and initiation of treatments. It also increases multi-sectorial involvement in the implementation of the policies. The policies also strengthen community networks utilized in addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The policies encourage active collaboration between the different levels of governments in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The policies also build on the previous policies to ensure the realization of optimum outcomes. They also recognize the importance of interventions such as the involvement of youth groups in addressing HIV/AIDs.
What are the weaknesses of this policy? There is minimal political commitment to support the implementation of the policies. The state is also reluctant to embrace interventions that address issues related to sexuality and reproduction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are weak frameworks for implementing the policies. There is also the lack of defined roles of the various levels of government in the implementation process.
Explain how the social determinants of health may impact the specified global health issue. (Be specific and provide examples)

 

Social determinants of health such as income may affect HIV/AIDs in America. Low-income level is associated with increased predisposition to risky behaviors such as prostitution and drug abuse that are linked with HIV/AIDS. Education is the other social determinant. Low level of education increases the risk of poor outcomes such as access to employment opportunities and low income. It also affects the adoption of healthy lifestyles by the populations at risk of HIV/AIDS (Padamsee, 2020). Poverty is a social determinant of HIV/AIDs in Kenya. Poverty predisposes individuals to risky behaviors such as prostitution, which is associated with HIV/AIDS. The other determinant is unemployment. Unemployment predisposes population to substance and drug abuse and unsafe sex practices, hence, HIV/AIDS (Musyoki et al., 2018).
How has each country’ government addressed cost, quality, and access to the selected global health issue? Testing and treatment for HIV/AIDs is free in the USA. The government also has insurance plans such as Medicare and Medicaid that increase access to care for patients with HIV/AIDS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS is free in Kenya. Patients have free access to anti-retroviral drugs to reduce the severity of the disease.
How has the identified health policy impacted the health of the global population? (Be specific and provide examples) The policies adopted by the US government have improved the health outcomes for patients with HIV/AIDS. The policies have addressed barriers to access to high quality care such as cost in the state. The access to treatment has also prolonged the lives of the patients with HIV/AIDS. It has also contributed to enhanced productivity among patients affected with HIV (Luz et al., 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The policies adopted by the Kenyan government have led to the improvement in the health outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS. The policies have also promoted equity in the access to and utilization of care by HIV/AIDS patients. Lastly, it has reduced the morbidity, mortality, and maternal-fetal transmission of HIV/AIDS among the affected populations.
Describe the potential impact of the identified health policy on the role of nurse in each country. The policies for HIV/AIDS in the USA have implications on the role of nurses. The policies increase the role that nurses play in health promotion. Nurses have to educate the public about the causes, effects, treatment, and prevention of HIV/AIDS. They also have to address barriers to access to HIV-care in the different states (Padamsee, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The policy adopted by the Kenyan government has implications to the role of the nurse. It increases the need for nurses to engage in activities that create awareness among the population on the need for HIV-testing and initiation of treatment. It also translates into the need for the nurses to play a proactive role in the design of policies that address barriers to access to healthcare (Musyoki et al., 2018).
Explain how global health issues impact local healthcare organizations and policies in both countries. (Be specific and provide examples)  

HIV/AIDs have considerable impacts on local healthcare organizations and policies. It affects the productivity of the state as well as health organizations. The loss in productivity is attributed to the increased need for hospital visits and hospitalizations and absenteeism in the affected populations. A high prevalence and incidence rate of HIV/AIDS also causes increased workload in healthcare organizations (Seyler et al., 2018).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIV/AIDS is a highly prevalent public health problem in Kenya. It increases the workload for the healthcare providers as well as the spending of the government on its management and prevention. It also diverts the resources that could be used in the implementation of other public health policies. For example, resources that could be used for the management of other health problems such as tuberculosis are used in addressing HIV/AIDS in the country (Musyoki et al., 2018).
General Notes/Comments HIV/AIDS has significant effect on the American and Kenyan economies. The policy initiatives adopted in both countries have been effective. They have addressed barriers to care for people with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, interventions to address the weaknesses in the policies should be adopted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflection

I will advocate the incorporation of a global perspective into my local practice as a nurse leader to address the issue of HIV/AIDs in a number of ways. Firstly, I will work in collaboration with other nurses and healthcare providers in developing strategies to support the management and prevention of HIV/AIDs. I will work with healthcare providers within and outside my state in identifying evidence-based strategies that can be used in addressing the global public health issue. The other way in which I will advocate for the incorporation of a global perspective is through educating my colleagues on the importance of global perspective in HIV/AIDs management (Gower et al., 2017). Education will create awareness among the other healthcare providers about the importance of the global perspective in healthcare in facilitating optimum health outcomes for the people with HIV/AIDS.

The incorporation of the global perspective into my practice will impact my practice as a nurse and nurse leader. The incorporation will strengthen my understanding of the diverse perspectives of practice that can be used to achieve optimum health outcomes for people with HIV/AIDS. It will also increase my understanding of the diversity in cultural needs of the patients with HIV/AIDS and promoting cultural competence in patient care. I will also learn about the effective inter and multi-stakeholder interventions that are needed in achieving the desired outcomes of care for patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS. The incorporation of the global perspective into my practice as a nurse and nurse leader will contribute to social change. It will introduce new practices of care that reflect diversity in healthcare. It will also lead to the understanding of the ways in which research, innovation and evidence-based practice can be used in addressing social determinants of health in HIV/AIDS (Gower et al., 2017).

Conclusion

Overall, the policies adopted by the USA and Kenyan governments to address the issue of HIV/AIDS have been effective in reducing the rates of the disease and improving the health of the affected populations. The policies aim at addressing the social determinants of health that relate to HIV/AIDS. Nurses have critical roles to play in facilitating the successful implementation of the policies and driving the desired social change in their communities. Therefore, global states should explore addition policy initiatives that are needed to address the concerns related to HIV/AIDS.

 

 

 

References

Gower, S., Duggan, R., Dantas, J. A. R., & Boldy, D. (2017). Something has shifted: Nursing students’ global perspective following international clinical placements. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(10), 2395–2406. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13320

Luz, P. M., Veloso, V. G., & Grinsztejn, B. (2019). The HIV epidemic in Latin America: Accomplishments and challenges on treatment and prevention. Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS, 14(5), 366–373. https://doi.org/10.1097/COH.0000000000000564

Musyoki, H., Bhattacharjee, P., Blanchard, A. K., Kioko, J., Kaosa, S., Anthony, J., Javalkar, P., Musimbi, J., Malaba, S. J., Olwande, C., Blanchard, J. F., Sirengo, M., Isac, S., & Moses, S. (2018). Changes in HIV prevention programme outcomes among key populations in Kenya: Data from periodic surveys. PLOS ONE, 13(9), e0203784. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203784

Padamsee, T. J. (2020). Fighting an Epidemic in Political Context: Thirty-Five Years of HIV/AIDS Policy Making in the United States. Social History of Medicine, 33(3), 1001–1028. https://doi.org/10.1093/shm/hky108

Seyler, L., Lacor, P., & Allard, S. D. (2018). Current challenges in the treatment of HIV. Polish Archives of Internal Medicine, 128(10), 609–616. https://doi.org/10.20452/pamw.4357

Global Healthcare Comparison Matrix and Narrative Statement

Note: This Assignment (both Parts 1 & 2) is due on Day 5 of Week 11.

If you talk about a possible poor health outcome, do you believe that outcome will occur? Do you believe eye contact and personal contact should be avoided?

You would have a difficult time practicing as a nurse if you believed these to be true. But they are very real beliefs in some cultures.

Differences in cultural beliefs, subcultures, religion, ethnic customs, dietary customs, language, and a host of other factors contribute to the complex environment that surrounds global healthcare issues. Failure to understand and account for these differences can create a gulf between practitioners and the public they serve.

In this Assignment, you will examine a global health issue and consider the approach to this issue by the United States and by one other country.

Resources

 

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare:

  • Review the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global health agenda and select one global health issue to focus on for this Assignment.
  • Select at least one additional country to compare to the U.S. for this Assignment.
  • Reflect on how the global health issue you selected is approached in the U.S. and in the additional country you selected.
  • Review and download the Global Health Comparison Matrix provided in the Resources.

The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Global Health Comparison Matrix; 1-page Plan for Social Change)

Part 1: Global Health Comparison Matrix

Focusing on the country you selected and the U.S., complete the Global Health Comparison Matrix. Be sure to address the following:

  • Consider the U.S. national/federal health policies that have been adapted for the global health issue you selected from the WHO global health agenda. Compare these policies to the additional country you selected for study.
  • Explain the strengths and weaknesses of each policy.
  • Explain how the social determinants of health may impact the global health issue you selected. Be specific and provide examples.
  • Using the WHO’s Organization’s global health agenda as well as the results of your own research, analyze how each country’s government addresses cost, quality, and access to the global health issue selected.
  • Explain how the health policy you selected might impact the health of the global population. Be specific and provide examples.
  • Explain how the health policy you selected might impact the role of the nurse in each country.
  • Explain how global health issues impact local healthcare organizations and policies in both countries. Be specific and provide examples.

Part 2: A Plan for Social Change

Reflect on the global health policy comparison and analysis you conducted in Part 1 of the Assignment and the impact that global health issues may have on the world, the U.S., your community, as well as your practice as a nurse leader.

In a 1-page response, create a plan for social change that incorporates a global perspective or lens into your local practice and role as a nurse leader.

  • Explain how you would advocate for the incorporation of a global perspective or lens into your local practice and role as a nurse leader.
  • Explain how the incorporation of a global perspective or lens might impact your local practice and role as a nurse leader.
  • Explain how the incorporation of a global perspective or lens into your local practice as a nurse leader represents and contributes to social change. Be specific and provide examples

By Day 5 of Week 11

Submit both Part 1 and Part 2 of your Assignment.

submission information

Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.

  1. To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK11Assgn+LastName+Firstinitial
  2. Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
  3. Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

 

Introduction

The problem of non-communicable diseases across the globe is a challenge that is growing on an annual basis. This issue of non-communicable diseases is a global challenge that WHO tries to prevent. Given the disease cannot be treated such as diabetes and high blood pressure they can be successfully prevented in various communities (World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). The issue is a global problem that requires mitigation from different countries which include the US and Canada.

Global Healthcare Issue  

Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases

Description The cost of medication and management of the non-communicable disease is rising. The increased cost of care delivery and the need for nurses is due to non-communicable diseases. The fact that non-communicable disease is rarely cured due to its chronic nature requires lifelong management which is expensive for the patient and the country as well. The covid-19 pandemic has also revealed non-communicable to be a major weakness of human beings since it resulted in many deaths due to underlying conditions. Therefore, a need for prevention is essential.
Country United States

 

Canada
Describe the policy in each country related to the identified healthcare issue Adopted prevention of non-communicable disease through education, institution, and public-private partnership. The government has a special institution that focuses on each specific issue such as diabetes association, cancer centers, and cardiovascular diseases (Bhattacharya, Juyal, Hossain & Singh, 2020). The government through mass communication emphasizes the issue and provision of information through the center for disease control. The country adopts the policy of research, support, and collaborative initiative for the affected people (Milsom, Smith, Baker & Walls, 2021).
What are the strengths of this policy?  

The policy of adopting and focusing on medical research is to bring solutions that will help only solve the problem. The public-private partnership ensures medical equipment and drugs needed are subsidized for patients.

In Canada, the education of the public is the primary focus that will help prevent non-communicable diseases. The sharing of ideas and understanding the non-communicable disease by population is the primary focus (Milsom, Smith, Baker & Walls, 2021).
What are the weaknesses of this policy? The major weakness of the dominant policy research is that it is relatively expensive and takes time for medications to be discovered. The subsidies given to specific industries result in complaints from other drug manufacturing firms. Education of masses and the general public take a long period to materialize. This requires the need to have interventions.
Explain how the social determinants of health may impact the specified global health issue. (Be specific and provide examples)

 

The problem of non-communicable disease is mainly attributed to the type of food consumed. The ability to buy and access food is a social determinant that is characterized by a level of education, income, and availability of food. The case of obesity is due to consumption of food that reaches in sugar as compared to a balanced diet. The social determinants in Canada include drug abuse such as smoking and alcohol intake. Also, a high intake of red meat and salt is a major social determinant of health.
How has each country’s government addressed cost, quality, and access to the selected global health issue? The united states have addressed the issue of non-communicable by offering subsidies to insulin, provision of free medical management for non-communicable diseases, and subsiding of cancer treatments. The equality of services has been achieved since the issue is managed by government facilities. The government focuses on the provision of medication equal to all people with standardization of prices and medical costs to all.
How has the identified health policy impacted the health of the global population? (Be specific and provide examples)  

The policy of research has resulted in the identification of issues that result in non-communicable diseases. For instance, through research, it has been shown that excess weight gain can result in other comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes. This has been replicated across the world to help promote physical practice

Through education of the public and having physical exercise the cases of diabetes have been significantly reduced.
Describe the potential impact of the identified health policy on the role of the nurse in each country. The nurses in the US will be able to educate and make a decision based on the research findings. This will help the patient and the rest of the population to reduce the incidences of non-communicable diseases. Through the education of patients, nurses can mitigate this problem effectively.
Explain how global health issues impact local healthcare organizations and policies in both countries. (Be specific and provide examples)  

The policies made in the medical arena in the country should always be in line with the issue of non-communicable diseases. Consequently, a lot of resources are channeled by the government to healthcare as compared to other sectors.

 

The country focuses more on the problem and hence requires more resources both labor, equipment, and money. The country’s budget within healthcare has been shaped by this issue.
General Notes/Comments The policy has resulted in significant management of non-communicable causes. The policy helps reduce new cases and promotes effective management of the existing ones.

 

Part 2: A Plan for Social Change

Evidence-based practices are the basis of mitigating the problem of non-communicable diseases. The social change needed within the medical community as far as the issue of non-communicable disease is a concern is the use of evidence-based practices. The problem of non-communicable disease is not the same as a vector-borne disease which requires stopping the vector or the agent itself but requires prevention of the onset of the condition (Akseer et al., 2020). This evidence-practice includes having regular physical exercises, reduce intake of alcohol, and cessation of smoking. In the nutritional realm, the need to reduce the high intake of calories is essential as well as embracing a balanced diet. The country should be able to subsidize healthy food such as fruits, vegetables, and approved sources of proteins. World health organization’s guidelines should be promoted and adhered to to ensure good health and safety for all people.

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Conclusion

Conclusively, the issue of non-communicable disease is a major global problem in the arena of health. The best policies that remain viable are the prevention and management of existing cases. US and Canada are two examples of countries that strive to overcome the problem of non-communicable disease through various policies. This is a long way impact how other countries will mitigate this problem of non-communicable diseases.

 

 

 

 

References

Akseer, N., Mehta, S., Wigle, J., Chera, R., Brickman, Z. J., Al-Gashm, S., … & Bhutta, Z. A. (2020). Non-communicable diseases among adolescents: current status, determinants, interventions and policies. BMC public health20(1), 1-20. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-020-09988-5

Bhattacharya, S., Juyal, R., Hossain, M. M., & Singh, A. (2020). Non-communicable diseases viewed as “collateral damage” of our decisions: Fixing accountabilities and finding sloutions in primary care settings. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care9(5), 2176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7380828/

Milsom, P., Smith, R., Baker, P., & Walls, H. (2021). Corporate power and the international trade regime preventing progressive policy action on non-communicable diseases: a realist review. Health policy and planning36(4), 493-508. https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/36/4/493/6024433

World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Global health agenda. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from http://www.who.int/about/vision/global_health_agenda/en/

 

  Excellent Good Fair Poor
Main Posting 45 (45%) – 50 (50%)

Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.

 

Supported by at least three current, credible sources.

 

Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

40 (40%) – 44 (44%)

Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

Global Healthcare Comparison Matrix and Narrative Statement
Global Healthcare Comparison Matrix and Narrative Statement

At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth.

 

Supported by at least three credible sources.

 

Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

35 (35%) – 39 (39%)

Responds to some of the discussion question(s).

 

One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed.

 

Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.

 

Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

 

Post is cited with two credible sources.

 

Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors.

 

Contains some APA formatting errors.

0 (0%) – 34 (34%)

Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately.

 

Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria.

 

Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.

 

Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

 

Contains only one or no credible sources.

 

Not written clearly or concisely.

 

Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.

 

Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.

Main Post: Timeliness 10 (10%) – 10 (10%)

Posts main post by day 3.

0 (0%) – 0 (0%) 0 (0%) – 0 (0%) 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Does not post by day 3.

First Response 17 (17%) – 18 (18%)

Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.

 

Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.

 

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.

 

Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.

 

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

 

Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.

 

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

15 (15%) – 16 (16%)

Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.

 

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

 

Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.

 

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.

 

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

13 (13%) – 14 (14%)

Response is on topic and may have some depth.

 

Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.

 

Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.

 

Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.

0 (0%) – 12 (12%)

Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.

 

Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.

 

Responses to faculty questions are missing.

 

No credible sources are cited.

Second Response 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)

Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.

 

Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.

 

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.

 

Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.

 

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

 

Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.

 

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

14 (14%) – 15 (15%)

Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.

 

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

 

Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.

 

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.

 

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

12 (12%) – 13 (13%)

Response is on topic and may have some depth.

 

Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.

 

Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.

 

Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.

0 (0%) – 11 (11%)

Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.

 

Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.

 

Responses to faculty questions are missing.

 

No credible sources are cited.

Participation 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)

Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.

0 (0%) – 0 (0%) 0 (0%) – 0 (0%) 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.

Total Points: 100

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For assignments that need to be submitted to Lopes Write, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.

Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.

Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?

Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.

Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.

If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.

I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.

As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:

Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.

Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

  • Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
  • There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
  • Include in-text citations in your response
  • Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
  • Follow APA-7th edition
  • Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

  • A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
  • Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
  • Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
  • Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
  • Follow APA 7th edition
  • Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
  • Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
  • Here are some helpful links
  • Student paper example
  • Citing Sources
  • The Writing Center is a great resource